Alexander jay wurts



(No ModeL) A. J. WURTS.

BACK CONNECTION FOR SWITGHBOARDS.

Patented July 28; 1896.

WITNESSES:

Taurus" wsmun'ruu. o c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER JAY WURTS, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEWESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

SAME PLACE.

BACK CONNECTION FOR SWITCHBOARDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,679, dated July 28,1896. Application filed November 7,1895. Serial 1:... 568,216. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER JAY WVURTS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny 5 and State ofPennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in BackConnections for Switchboards, (Case No. 675,) of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to switchboards for systems of electricaldistribution, and more particularly to means for connecting theconducting-wires with the back terminal studs of such switchboards.

The object of my invention is to provide a I5 means of this generalcharacter which may be readily applied and removed, and which will beadapted for the connection of any number of conducting-wires withinreasonable limits without any special adaptation or alteration for anyspecific case.

Heretofore it has been the general practise to provide a singleconnecting device for each back terminal-stud, thus rendering itnecessary to drill such device in accordance with 2 5 requirements ofeach particular case, both as regards the number of conductors and thesize of the same. In this old form of connecting device conductors areheld or fastened by means of set-screws. This makes comparatively poorcontact, and the setscrews are at any time liable to become loose. Asoldered connection would be better, but the wires cannot be soldered tothe connecting device when the latter is in position on the backterminal stud, because in'many instances the heat necessary forsoldering would be conveyed through the 'stud to the instrument on theface of the switchboard and there cause damage. Nor is it feasible to 40adjust several wires into one connecting device while on its terminalstud, then remove the connecting device with wires in position andsolder, because after soldering there would be some slight adjustmentnecessary,

5 which would be exceedingly difficult to make after soldered connectionhad been made to several large wires. By my invention I am able toprovide certain sizes and forms of connectors, which may be kept instock, and any desired number of each may be employed without making anychanges therein to suit any particular case, it being merely necessaryto make the proper connection between the ends of the conductors andthese connecting devices and to clamp the latter upon 5 5 the backterminal stud. Each conductor has its own connecting device, so thateach conductor and each connecting device may be first adjusted, thenremoved, soldered, and

finally replaced, thus securingnot only better electrical contact, butavoiding the possibility of any loosening of the contacts. By myinvention it is also possible to increase the number of conductors fromone ormore studs, and consequently the total carrying capacity, 6 5without disturbing the existing conductors and without having previouslymade allowance for such increase of capacity in the connecting device.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portionof a switchboard and a single back terminal stud provided with threeconnectors. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation showing the stud in section, thethree connectors in position thereon, and portions of three conductors.Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a slightly-modifiedconstruction.

Reference being now had to the details of the device shown in thedrawings, 1 is the insulating switchboard-base, and 2 the back terminalstud supported thereby.

3, 3, and 3" are the individual members of a set of connecting devicesindependently supported upon the back terminal stud 2. The base portionof each of these devices is provided with an opening of such size andshape as to closely fit the stud 2, and is also split at one side toform two projecting lugs 5, these lugs being perforated for the recep- 0tion of a bolt 6, in order that when the device is in position upon thestud 2 it may be rigidly clamped thereon. The middle connector 3 isprovided with a shank 4, which projects at right angles to the stud 2,and has a cylin- 9 5 drical outer end 7. The connectors 3 and 3",located, respectively, at the inner and the outer side of the connector3, are alike in form, and their supporting and clamping means are likethe corresponding parts of the device 3.

These connectors 3 and 3 are provided with shanks I, however, which areoffset or curved so as to bring their cylindrical ends 7 ,together withthe end 7 of the connector 3, into a plane substantially parallel to theback of the switchboard, the two connectors 3 and 3 being reversed inposition in order to accomplish this result. It is apparent that eithera less or a greater number than three of these devices may be employed,if desired.

In case one or more additional connectors be employed, it will obviouslybe necessary either to make the connectingshank of greater length thanhas been indicated in the drawings or to begin a second set ofconnectors in a second plane parallel to the plane of the first set.

Each of the cylindrical ends 7 7 has a cylindrical socket for thereception of the end of a conductor 9, a good electrical and mechanicalconnection between these parts being made, preferably, by means ofsolder.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings the middle connector is exactly like thecorresponding device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that its shank 3 isof greater width and the portion 7 is provided with two sockets for thereception of the ends of two conductors 9. The connectors 8 and 8 areconstructed and arranged the same as the corresponding devices 3 and 3",in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the form and dimensions of their shanks atare varied sufliciently to accommodate the larger part 7 between theparts '7 It will be apparent from the foregoing description andillustration that the number of conductors connected to any backterminal stud may be varied to suit the requirements of any particularcase without any special fitting or alteration of connecting devices, itbeing feasible to keep the few necessary forms of connecting devices instock, and when it is desired to add an additional conductor orconductors this maybe done by simply inserting its end in the socket ofthe connector, applying the solder, slipping the connector upon thestud, and clamping it in the desired position thereon. It is alsoapparent that the arrangement of the conductors in a plane parallel tothe back of the switchboard is an important and desirable feature.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a switchboard backterminal stud, of a plurality of movable coupling devices independentlyclamped upon said stud, said devices having conductorreceiving socketsarranged in aplane substantially parallel to that of the base-board ofthe switch. V

2. The combination with a switchboard back terminal stud, of a pluralityof separable coupling devices independently clamped thereon, each ofsaid coupling devices having a socket for the reception of the end of aconductor.

3. The combination with a switchboard back terminal stud, of a couplingdevice clamped upon said stud and projecting substantially at rightangles thereto, and a sec- 0nd coupling device independently clamped tosaid stud and having its free end projecting parallel to thecorresponding end of the firstnamed coupling device, and in a planesubstantially parallel to the plane of the baseboard of the switch.

4. The combination with a switchboard back terminal stud, of a couplingdevice removably clamped upon said stud and projecting at right anglesthereto, and a pair of coupling devices, one on each side of thefirstnamed device and alike in construction, each of said three couplingdevices having a socket in its free end and all of said sockets being ina plane parallel to the switch-base.

5. A plurality of connecting devices for switchboard back terminal studshaving base or body portions in alinement in one plane andconductor-sockets located in a plane at right angles thereto.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day ofOctober, A. D. 1895.

ALEXANDER J. \VURTS.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN B. THITEHEAD, J r., JAMES B. YOUNG.

